Making It Legal:

What struck me about my conversation with Alicia Marie Fruin, a national leader in coaching and training for small-business owners, and founder of PeopleBizInc.com, is that she so quickly zeroed in on where entrepreneurs get stuck. Stuck in doing everything ourselves because we can’t see a way for our company to expand past our limited skill sets. Stuck in not having a “duplicatable” business–that is, one that can function (and generate money for you) even when you’re not there.  (Hey, I’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt.)

Is your business worth having? Would you want it if it weren’t yours? Alicia has been an entrepreneur for almost 20 years, and has coached managers, presidents and sales professionals for more than a decade.  So listen in as we talk about what got her going, what she wished she knew when she first started and a legal cow pie she got thrown into because she was too quick to offer suggestions.

Also check out Alicia’s “Ask An Expert” podcast series, available at PeopleBizInc.com.

As Kat Gordon, founder of the mom-centered marketing agency Maternal Instinct knows well, moms influence 85 percent of their household purchases.  There’s an art (and a science) to marketing to mothers.  Being a business owner, she also learned the hard way that there’s an art (and a science) to getting paid by your clients.

Listen in to my interview of Kat where we talk about:

1. How a friendship and a rush job combined to create a volatile non-payment cocktail
2. Smart business advice from . . . a 6-year-old!
3. Why a recent audit led her to change her information storage methods
4. What she wishes she had done earlier for her business

For more info about marketing to moms the right way, you can follow Kat on Twitter @katgordon and visit Maternal Journal, her agency’s blog.

Have questions about business partnerships you’d want to “Ask The Business Lawyer“?  Listen in–TOMORROW, 7/30 at 2 p.m. Eastern, I’ll be on BlogTalkRadio, speaking with The Sassy Ladies about “Business Prenups: How They Can Save Your Business From Going Bust!” Business partners are like spouses: Choose the wrong one, and you’re in for a hellish ride. Your business partner can boom or bust your business. Find out how to make the right choice for you, and why written business partner agreements are vital to your business health.  Avoid business divorce by handling it right from the start!

• The new rules for federal contracting opportunities
• The kinds of women-owned businesses that can best take advantage of these changes
• How not to get bogged down in a mountain of paperwork in applying
• Other goals of the Obama Administration for women-owned businesses

Women-owned businesses generate approximately $2.8 trillion dollars a year, according to a recent study done by the Center for Women’s Business Research.  In gross amounts, that’s no chump change (I could do a LOT with $2.8 trillion.).  However, the study also seems to indicate that only 4.2 percent of all revenue is generated by women-owned businesses . . . which isn’t as impressive a figure.  One theory: Women-owned businesses tend to stay small.

All the more reason that they should ask for help, so that they can develop a strong foundation for growth. Listen in to my interview of Elisa Balabram, author of the recently released Ask Others/Trust Yourself.  Elisa talks about the importance of listening to your own passions and intuition, getting over the shame/discomfort of asking for help, and prioritizing the goals that you’re prepared to take action on.

“She Takes on the World” is not just a glowing compliment my husband gives about me (and, frankly, could pertain to many of you)–it’s the name of the award-winning blog by Natalie MacNeil, media producer, entrepreneur, former ambassador and Stevie Award finalist. Listen in as we cover why she felt a code of ethics was necessary for her growing business, and how she made the choice to take on a business partner for her new venture after years of solopreneurship.

If you’re an entrepreneur, startup CEO and small-business owner, you know how important your brand is to your success. That’s why I’m thrilled to be speaking at the upcoming Brand Reinvention Summit on October 1 and 2. It’s an interview series that you’ll be able to listen to online and learn about the greatness that comes from taking on the role of the Brand Agent/Provocateur in your business.

I’m going to be speaking about some of the legal risks involved in choosing and using a brand (both online and offline), and how you can avoid them. There are nine other fabulous speakers who will teach you how to revitalize, redirect and repackage your brand.

Here’s the surprising part: This telesummit is f*r*e*e, so make sure you visit blahtozingsummit.com to sign up now.

Yes, that’s the advice of most of the “success gurus.”  Figure out what you do well–and what you enjoy doing–and leave the rest to someone else.

Listen in to my conversation with Rosalie Lober, PhD., author of the newly-released Run Your Business Like a Fortune 100: 7 Principles for Boosting Profits. We cover:

• Rosalie’s case study of Terra Plantworks, which grew revenue from $3 million to $11 million in three years, by letting go of less-profitable business divisions–and how Terra came to that decision
• The importance of having a fully-integrated business
• Three key steps to doing your due diligence on any strategic alliance partner
• The top three problem areas for most strategic alliances (and, yes, how a written agreement can alleviate them)

“Why can’t I handle my own patent/trademark/copyright filings?” you ask.  “I’m getting started on a shoestring–do I really need to spend the legal fees?” Go right ahead and DIY . . . but if you’re not on target about what you’ve done or how thoroughly you’ve handled your background research, you could find that you’ve dumped a lot of money into IP that you simply can’t protect.

Listen in to my interview of Amy Goldsmith, Esq., an  intellectual property attorney and partner at Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. in New York City. Amy gives us the lowdown on:

• Why you can’t “patent” a company name (you trademark it)–and why it’s important to get the terminology straight
• What kinds of trademarks pass muster with the Trademark Office
• How a trademark search (done by professionals) will unearth possible obstacles you never dreamed of  . . .  and save you time, money and energy

If you want your intellectual property to become a valuable company asset, listen to this interview!

I was intrigued with what Robert Tuchman had to say about his experience with business partners–check out Chapter 5 (”The Partner Principle”) of Young Guns: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own. Especially as his is a success story. How rare is that? So I invited him back for a second interview to learn more. [For the first interview with Robert Tuchman, click here]

Listen in as Robert and I talk about how he chose his business partner, what traits he was looking for, how he tested the waters, and what made the relationship work. For more information about Robert and his book, visit YoungBusinessExecutives.com.

Ready to chase your dreams of being an entrepreneur? Yes, I mean you. Why not you?

Listen in to this lively and informative interview of Robert Tuchman, author of YOUNG GUNS: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own. Robert talks about why the theme of “why not you?” has to resonate powerfully for budding business owners. He shares war stories (mistakes), lessons learned and benefits gleaned from having a solid professional team behind him . . .  even from the get-go.

For more information about Robert and the book, visit his website at www.YoungBusinessExecutives.com.